Beware Crony Gun Control

When President Obama took on health care, he wasted no time getting big business onboard, even managing to get big pharmaceutical companies to spend $70 million fighting US Chamber of Commerce attacks. And "if you substitute the name Walmart for Big Pharma—and the NRA for the Chamber of Commerce—you will understand" the retailer's meeting with Joe Biden last week, writes Matt Lewis at The Week. "After years of fighting big business, some astute liberals" have decided they're better off getting its blessing.

Walmart could easily benefit from a bill that closed the gun show loophole (sending customers to its stores instead), but which didn't ban the assault rifles it sells. This is why—stereotypes to the contrary—conservatives mistrust big business. "The fact is that big business loves regulation, because they have a competitive advantage" complying. This kind of crony capitalism is corrosive, undermining free market meritocracy and confidence. "Whether you care about guns or not, there is a lot more at stake here than first meets the eye," he concludes. Click for Lewis' full column. (More Walmart stories.)